Grand Prix d’Automne History: The late French Champion Hurdle

November, Auteuil

Grand Prix d’Automne Hurdle

Group 1, 5-year-olds and above, Hurdle race, 4,800m/3m, €245,000

Created in 1929

Last winner: Galop Marin (g8, IRE by Black Sam Bellamy), owned by Mrs Patrick Papot, bred by Fleming & Molloy, trained by Dominique Bressou, ridden by Morgan Regairaz.

The race is run in 2021 for the 92nd time, the 31st in its actual form.

The 2020 edition

Sunday, November 29, 2020, Auteuil. - The victorious march of L’Autonomie (Blue Brésil) was interrupted by her best enemy, Paul’s Saga (Martaline), in the Grande Course de Haies (Gr1), on October 17th. It was the latter's turn to give up victory in the €245,000 Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle Race (Gr1) because this time Galop Marin (Black Sam Bellamy) did not give in.

Already twice a winner of this event, and carrying cheekpieces for the first time, the representative of the Papot family pushed back Paul's Saga to the end, while L'Autonomie, whose revenge was expected and who started as the odds-on favourite, gave in in the final turn and had to settle for third place, twelve lengths behind the first two. She had travelled covered by the eventual winner but could not keep up with Paul's Saga when she joined them in the bend, as usual. Yet the grey mare did not manage to steal the outside rail in the home stretch, because Galop Marin was not giving up. She seemed to have kept something in the run-in, but the stout, chestnut old-timer simply wouldn't bend the knee. He won by half a length.

The last hat-trick in the race dates from 1999, the year of Mon Romain's third consecutive victory.

Trained in Dragey (Manche) by Dominique Bressou for the Papot family, Galop Marin had lost his leadership over the elite French hurdlers since the accession of the 5-year-old L’Autonomie and the 6-year-old Paul’s Saga at the top this season. He is one of the very rare high-level performers at Auteuil who was not bred in France. Bred in Ireland by Fleming and Molloy, Galop Marin was bought for € 13,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland mixed sales by FIPS. Now aged 8, he is out of the French-bred mare Great Jane (Great Palm), a sister of the good hurdlers Gaelic Ocean (Urban Ocean) and Gaelic Beauty (Garuda). Galop Marin is approaching 1.3 million euros in earnings and now counts 13 victories over jumps.

History

Created in 1929 over 2 miles and three furlongs, the Grand Prix d’Automne was not run in 1939. Its distance has varied frequently and is 3 miles since 1996. It was run in the form of a handicap from 1940 to 1989 and was open to 4 year-olds until 1989.

The Grand Prix d'Automne Hurdle race was created as a counterpart to the Grande Course de Haies de Printemps (then called the Grand Prix du Printemps) first run in 1928. But while the springtime event was, and would remain, a handicap, the autumnal event only took on this form temporarily (from 1940 to 1989), a fact which did not prevent it from featuring some excellent horses not put off by a heavyweight.

Ten horses have won the race more than once. Evohé II (1934, 1936, 1937), Mon Romain (1997, 1998, 1999) and Galop Marin (2018, 2019, 2020) won three times. The other 7 secured two wins apiece: Pyrrhus (1949, 1950), Méhariste (1955, 1956), Marivaux (1959, 1961), Zaiyad (2006, 2007), Questarabad (2009, 2010), Alex de Larredya (2016, 2017). 

The Grande Course de Haies d'Auteuil-Grand Prix d'Automne double has been made by 13 horses: Le Bouif (1930-1929), Evohé II (1937, 1938-1934, 1936, 1937), Vatelys (1946), Méhariste (1956-1955, 1956), Romantisme (1957), Pansa (1966-1965), Rivoli (1967-1966), Hardatit (1972, 1973-1971), Rose or No (1991-1990), Laveron (2002), Zaiyad (2007-2006 and 2007), Questarabad (2009), Thousand Stars (2011-2015).

Owners

• Antony Vidal (3 wins): Evohé II (1934, 1936, 1937)
• Mrs Michel Daugreilh (3 wins): Mon Romain (1997, 1998, 1999).
• Papot Family (3 wins): Galop Marin (2018, 2019, 2020)

Trainers

• William Head (8 wins): Filidor (1931, dead-heat), Evohé II (1934, 1936, 1937), Daring (1944), Vatelys (1946), Blue Butterfly (1947) & Maisons-Laffitte (1951) ;
• Marcel Rolland (4 wins): Mon Romain (1999), Questarabad (2009, 2010) & Saint du Chenet (2012).
• Peter Head (3 wins): Méhariste (1955, 1956) & Roy du Sillon (1992) ;
• René Pelat (3 wins): François Saubaber (1968), Tim (1970) & Hardatit (1971) ;
• Jean-Jacques Beaumé (3 wins): Dulcio (1973), Porto Rafti (1974) & Manor (1977) ;
• Jean Lesbordes (3 wins): Bitwood (1993) & Mon Romain (1997, 1998) ;
• François Doumen (3 wins): Algan (1994), Laveron (2002) & Millenium Royal (2005).
• Marcel Rolland (3 wins): Questarabad (2009, 2010), Saint du Chenêt (2012).
• Dominique Bressou (3 wins): Galop Marin (2018, 2019, 2020)

Riders

• Tommy Dunn (3 wins): Evohé II (1934, 1936, 1937) ;
• Claude Maire (3 wins): Prosper II (1952) & Méhariste (1955, 1956) ;
• Cyrille Gombeau (3 wins): Topkar (1995), Royal Chance (1996), Grande Haya (2004) ;
• Régis Schmidlin (3 wins): Questarabad (2009, 2010), Saint du Chenet (2012).
• Morgan Regairaz (3 wins): Galop Marin (2018, 2019, 2020)